HONOR Magic5 Pro first impressions: Magic meets beauty

HONOR invited us to introduce the new HONOR Magic5 Pro ahead of the MWC 2023 announcement. It’s the company’s latest flagship, sporting a tweaked design language, new camera features, and new features to show off the best of the company.The HONOR Magic5 Pro includes a 6.81-inch It comes with an LTPO AMOLED display, a triple 50MP camera setup on the back, and a powerful 5,100 mAh battery that supports 66W fast wired charging and 50W fast wireless charging.

Last year’s HONOR Magic4 Pro is already one of the best smartphones for photography and arguably the fastest wireless charging smartphone ever. Naturally, there are high expectations for the successor to the Magic4 Pro. Here we take a closer look at the design and feel of the device.

Alongside the Magic5 Pro, the company also unveiled the new HONOR Magic5 and the global version of the HONOR Magic Vs foldable flagship.

price and availability

The new HONOR Magic5 Pro is available for €1,199 (~$1,250). Pricing includes the base model, which comes with 12 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage. Available in two colors, black and meadow green. HONOR did not disclose when his Magic5 Pro will be available for purchase, but the company confirmed that he will be available in Q2 2023.

Technical specifications

design

Before we start designing, let’s take a look at the Magic5 Pro’s new paint job. The device is made of aluminum and has glass front and back. A special coating is applied to the glass to achieve a soft touch with a glossy finish. The coating feels different than a regular phone, with a star-like coating that reflects light and gives it a more premium look. The image cannot do it justice.

The camera bump on the back features the familiar circular shape of the HONOR and is slightly curved, hiding the camera bump quite a bit. The circular camera island protrudes slightly, but is roughly the same height. The design is reminiscent of the OPPO Find X5 camera, but it also looks seamless and elegant. Your hand naturally sits flat on the camera bump, and the curvature makes it comfortable to grip large devices.

Despite the theme of grip and comfort, all sides are curved and there is not a single sharp edge. This allows the Magic5 Pro to fit snugly in the palm of your hand, but it is also slippery. The black model is indeed a fingerprint magnet, but the green model seems to hold up well.

screen

The back glass seamlessly transitions to the sides to accommodate the metal frame. Then go back to the front. Everything feels smooth, even the front has curved panels on all sides. This gives the Magic5 Pro a thinner bezel around it, making it look modern and stylish.

The only distraction in this design is the pill-shaped cutout in the upper left corner. Now it doesn’t look as aesthetically pleasing as the center cutout, but it makes sense why HONOR chose this location. You shouldn’t interfere too much with notifications or the overall layout. The cutout houses a facial recognition scanner and his 12MP front his camera. This explains why it takes up so much space compared to a traditional single his camera his cutout.

Facial recognition sensors always offer more security than those that rely on camera sensors. We are delighted to see it returning to the flagship for 2023.

camera

The HONOR Magic5 Pro has a 50MP triple camera on the back. All sensors are arranged in a circular island, as HONOR calls it a “star wheel triple camera”. It’s a very similar shape and design to what we’ve seen on the Magic4 Pro, but with a sleeker look.

As we mentioned in the design section, the camera bump has a curved line and the rear panel has a smooth transition that feels good in your hand. Its main feature is a 50MP f/1.6, 1/1.12 inch sensor that helps capture photos in any lighting environment. The secondary is another 50MP sensor of his, this time ultrawide. It has an f/2.2 aperture and a 122 degree field of view (FoV). The third is a 50MP periscope telephoto camera with 3.5x optical zoom and 100x digital zoom. It uses a Sony IMX858 sensor with an aperture of f/3.0.

HONOR also says it has improved its so-called ‘ultra-fusion’ computational algorithms and optics to produce more breathtaking photos. During my testing, I noticed that the focus is faster. Private He wasn’t able to take pictures at the event, but the results looked sharp with plenty of detail and contrast. It was well balanced even in low light, but I’ll have to see the results for myself when reviewing the device.

On paper, it looks like an impressive camera set-up and has a lot going for it, and HONOR has already shown some of its capabilities by winning a Guinness World Record. The company caught Piotr Grabowski achieving the record for “best slam dunk between legs.” We have high hopes for this camera and will definitely put it to the test once we receive our review unit.

battery

The HONOR Magic5 Pro has a 5,100 mAh battery, 500 mAh more than its predecessor. I stress that HONOR put a bigger battery inside the device, but I wonder what it took to do this. A notable difference can be seen.

Magic5 Pro supports 66W fast wired charging and 50W fast wireless “HONOR SuperCharge” technology. Last year’s device supported 100W wired and 100W wireless charging technology, but I’m not sure what changed or why it’s not on this year’s device. The ‘s wired charging is still fast, and 50W fast wireless charging is still one of the fastest on the latest flagships, so it shouldn’t be an issue for those concerned.

First impression

2023 looks set to be the year HONOR further refines its devices, articulates its design language, and raises its profile as the company it aspires to be. The Magic5 Pro and Magic Vs Foldable are great examples of how the company has taken small but meaningful steps to become a leader in the mobile industry. The company has had a troubled past, and if these new devices prove anything, it’s that they take smartphones and innovation more seriously than ever before.

In a short hands-on with the HONOR Magic5 Pro, the company showed off a device that promises excellent day and night photography, videography, performance, and durability with a long-lasting battery. I haven’t gotten my hands on a review unit yet, but I’m more excited than ever to try and test the Magic5 Pro.

The Magic5 Pro looks sleek and elegant and packs a lot of features. The device promises all-day battery, fast charging and “magic” performance no matter the task. have dealt with successfully. If there’s one company to watch in 2023, it’s definitely HONOR, and the new Magic5 Pro and Magic Vs foldables.